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[1273b]
[1]
cannot be securely governed by an
aristocracy. And it is probable that those who purchase office will learn by
degrees to make a profit out of it, when they hold office for money spent; for
it would be odd if a man of small means but respectable should want to make a
profit but an inferior person when he has spent money to get elected should not
want to. Hence the persons who should be in office are those most capable of
holding office. And even if the lawgiver neglected to secure comfortable means
for respectable people, it would at all events be better that he should provide
for their leisure while in office.

And it might also be thought a bad thing
for the same person to hold several offices, which is considered a distinction
at Carthage. One man one job is
the best rule for efficiency, and the lawgiver ought to see that this may be
secured, and not appoint the same man to play the flute and make shoes. Hence
except in a small city it is more statesmanlike for a larger number to share in
the offices and more democratic, for it is fairer to all, as we said, and also
functions are performed better and more quickly when separate than by the same
people. This is clear in military and naval matters; for in both of these
departments command and subordination penetrate throughout almost the whole
body.1

But
the constitution being oligarchical they best escape the dangers by being
wealthy, as they constantly send out a portion of the common people to
[20]
appointments in the cities; by this means
they heal the social sore and make the constitution stable. However, this is the
achievement of fortune, whereas freedom from civil strife ought to be secured by
the lawgiver; but as it is, suppose some misfortune occurs and the multitude of
the subject class revolts, there is no remedy provided by the laws to restore
tranquillity.

This then is the character of
the Spartan, Cretan and Carthaginian constitutions, which are justly
famous.

Of those that have put forward views about politics, some have
taken no part in any political activities whatever but have passed their whole
life as private citizens; and something has been said about almost all the
writers of this class about whom there is anything noteworthy. Some on the other
hand have been lawgivers, either for their native cities or even for certain
foreign peoples, after having themselves been actively engaged in government;
and of these some have been framers of laws only, and others of a constitution
also, for instance Solon and Lycurgus, who instituted both laws and
constitutions. The Spartan constitution has been discussed. As for Solon, he is considered by some people to
have been a good lawgiver, as having put an end to oligarchy when it was too
unqualified and having liberated the people from slavery and restored the
ancestral democracy with a skilful blending of the constitution: the Council on
the Areopagus being an oligarchic element, the elective magistracies
aristocratic and the law-courts democratic. And although really in regard to
certain of these features, the Council and the election of magistrates,

1 i.e. everyone in command
（except the commander-in-chief） has someone of higher rank
over him.

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